The metro's music scenes, organized by what they actually sound like — not by Spotify genre. Each guide lists the anchor venues, what is upcoming, and one thing worth knowing.
The Twin Cities has had a serious jazz program since the 1960s — the Dakota anchors the national-touring side, but the small-room scene is what makes it a real working jazz town.
Read the scene →Hüsker Dü, the Replacements, Soul Asylum. The metro built the modern American underground in basement clubs. The basements are different now but the energy moved buildings, not species.
Read the scene →Less of a scene than a calendar — touring DJs land at the Skyway or the Armory, the local underground does its own thing in basements and one-offs. Here is where to start.
Read the scene →The Cedar Cultural Center is the anchor. Songwriter-in-the-round nights at the 331. Acoustic on the river at the Aster. A real folk infrastructure for a city that has always cared about the song.
Read the scene →Atmosphere, Brother Ali, P.O.S. — the metro's hip-hop history is real. The current scene runs through First Avenue, the Fine Line, and the Armory for touring names.
Read the scene →A serious all-ages calendar is the difference between a music city and a college-bar town. Here are the rooms that host it.
Read the scene →The metro's no-cover institutions are a real thing. The 331 Club anchors it; Sociable Cider, Indeed taprooms, public-park concerts fill the rest.
Read the scene →